NEWSMAKERS

White House Watch: There are signs that the First Lady's popularity remains high. The retail chain Ikea used this slogan in its ads on the backs of buses around Washington: "Nancy Reagan style at Barbara Bush prices." . . . The Bushes now have 12 grandchildren, with son Marvin and his wife, Margaret, adopting a 2-month-old boy they named Charles Walker. The Bush breakdown is five boys and seven girls.

Summing It Up: Washington Post columnist Chuck Conconi said he believed the only publicity gimmick Donald Trump ignored last year "was an opportunity to pose nude for Cosmopolitan magazine . . . Trump symbolizes the 1980s: He had it all and lost it all."

Smart Move: Leaders of Taiwan have figured a way to break out of their diplomatic isolation: Go to school. Press reports said the foreign ministry suggested that Catholic Fu Jen University invite Philippine President Corazon Aquino to Taiwan to confer on her an honorary doctorate. The university then drew up the proposal, which, not surprisingly, the government approved. If Aquino accepts, her visit would boost the status of Taiwan, which is recognized by only 28 countries. The rest of the world sends its ambassadors to Beijing.

Gun Shy: Prince Charles will pass up competition in an annual benefit polo match in Florida that has featured him in the past. The lingering effects of a broken arm are keeping the heir to England's throne from the Rolex-Prince of Wales Cup Polo Tournament in February, match spokeswoman Jane Ford said in Vero Beach, Fla. Charles broke his right arm in two places when he fell off a horse in a polo match in June in England. The arm did not heal properly and required surgery. About 5,000 spectators flocked to the match in 1989 and 1990 to watch the prince.